Peer Mediation And Skills Training (PMAST) is a Calgary based registered charity who has provided anti-bullying and conflict management solutions to Calgary schools, for over 20 years. We started in a high needs high school, struggling with conflict, violence, poor attendance, dropouts and low graduation rates.  Our goal was to teach the youth to resolve their conflict peacefully and establish peer mediation teams to assist one another in dealing with these issues.  By doing so, we changed the culture of that school to one of safety and respect.

From there we expanded to other schools and venues.  However, our vision remains the same – to equip youth, families and communities with the skills to manage conflict peacefully where they live, learn work and play.

For today’s youth, conflict and bullying is still the number one challenge they face and social media has just increased that exponentially. About 1/3 of Alberta households surveyed said that bullying has directly affected their family members. (ISPOS-Reid).  The toll of conflict and bullying hinders the development of self-esteem, self-worth and a sense of belonging. When not properly addressed, the damage of conflict continues throughout adulthood. Research supports what we already know to be true: unresolved conflict has a serious impact on the wellbeing of families and communities.

PMAST agrees that raising awareness of conflict and bullying, and providing counselling for victims, is important; but to really impact bullying and violence with long term effects, we must be pro-active and teach youth to handle conflict throughout their lives, before tragedies occur.   PMAST programs work for the bully, the victim and the would-be bystander.  Helping these kids build healthy relationship skills changes their lives and those around them for this and future generations. PMAST programs are designed for diverse ethnic, religious, and socio-economic populations, which often foster sexism, racism and cultural beliefs, increasing the risk factors in that community.

“According to STATS CAN, in 2012-2013 there were a total of 41,049 adult offenders incarcerated in Canadian federal and provincial prisons on an average day”. Costs per day for Canadian Federal Prisons average about $260/day per offender. This equals about

                       $10,673,000 PER DAY or $4 BILLION PER YEAR

and this is only the cost of incarceration. It does not include societal costs for courts, police, probation, legal, victims, rehab programs, property damage, etc. This is costing Canadian taxpayers a lot of money. How can we change this? How many adult offenders were juvenile offenders?  What if we could reach these youth before they go down this path? 

Mark A Cohen, Professor of Management and Law at Vanderbilt University says "We estimate the present value of saving a 14-year-old high risk juvenile from a life of crime to range from $2.6 to $5.3 million"

To change these lives we need to change the dynamics of these youth, their families and those around them for this and future generations. PMAST has developed relevant, research based programs which provide youth, schools, families and communities with critical skills to use in all areas of their lives.

We know we have excellent programs which have the power to change lives. We know it helps youth when they need it the most. We know it helps them to stay in school when an inability to deal with the conflict in their lives is too overwhelming. We know that building Peer Mediation Teams in the schools shifts the culture to a more peaceful, friendly and inclusive atmosphere. We know it empowers youth to be leaders - to be the best they can be, and helps them to build better relationships in all aspects of their lives. We know it has a ripple effect that reaches out to families and communities. The Peer Mediation Teams have taught us that "Youth Helping Youth" is far more impactful than adult intervention.

The U.S. National Institute of Justice estimates that every dollar spent on youth prevention and intervention programs results in a savings of between $10 and $22!

PMAST programs are not part of the school curriculum, but offered as a supplement. Unfortunately we always have more requests for our services than funds to fulfill.

We cannot afford to waste this opportunity - Please help us to help our youth!